Staff protests Temple firings

Members of Temple University’s faculty and staff protested yesterday at the home of the university president’s house.

Members of Temple University’s faculty and staff protested yesterday at the home of the university president’s house. The protest centered around the dismissal of 19 workers.

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[audio: 090603tmtemple.mp3]

Several dozen protesters formed a picket line outside the Rittenhouse Square home of Temple President Ann Hart. Equipment manager Dominic Margus says a month into his 24th year on the job he was dismissed as part of budget cuts at the university. He says after almost a quarter century, the process didn’t feel right.

Margus: I was allowed to go get my belongings 24 years worth of stuff, they escorted me down with a facilities operations person and gave me an hour to clean out my office.

The protesters believe the university is trying to break a union that has been without a contract for almost two years. University spokesman Ray Betzner says that’s not the case and the layoffs are part of university cost cutting measures.